Lightning is an element in Final Fantasy XIII. It is opposed to water and lightning abilities can be classified as physical or magical. The role specializing in elemental damage is the Ravager, and lightning is especially associated with Lightning and her Eidolon, Odin, though everyone but Snow learns lightning abilities in their Ravager trees.
The Ravager's lightning abilities are used to quickly build stagger, especially when used on enemies that are weak to it. AI-controlled allies and Auto-battle will not choose lightning abilities against enemies that are known to be healed by it, or if there is an ability available that would work better. Many aquatic and mechanical enemies are weak to lightning.
Abilities[]
| Magical | Thunder, Thundara, Thundaga |
|---|---|
| Physical | Sparkstrike |
| Eidolon abilities | Lightning Strike (Odin in Gestalt Mode), Thunderfall (Odin in Gestalt Mode) Electroshot (Brynhildr with Enthunder), Electroburst (Brynhildr with Enthunder) |
Additionally, all otherwise non-elemental attacks, like Ruin, Deprotect, or Attack, become lightning-elemental under the effects of Enthunder, which also boosts already lightning-elemental abilities' power by 30%.
Enemies cannot resist Odin nor Brynhildr's lightning attacks due to their Penetration passive ability.
The Lightning Affinity synergy effect increases the damage dealt by the user's lightning attacks by +20%–50%, depending on the affinity's strength. The player can activate the effect by equipping multiples of accessories that protect against lightning damage.
Alexander's Divine Judgment does increased damage to targets weak to any elemental damage, though the attack itself is considered non-elemental.
Enemy abilities[]
| Ability | Description | Enemy |
|---|---|---|
| Electrocute | Deals major lightning damage to one target. | Immortal |
| Electrokick | Deals major lightning damage. Long charging time. | Watchdrone |
| Exoproofing: Lightning | Makes the user absorb lightning, immune to ice, and weak against water. Also grants Enthunder. | Aster Protoflorian, Vernal Harvester |
| Fulminous Firestorm | Deals major fire and lightning damage to all opponents with chance of inflicting Imperil. Modifies elemental resistances to absorb fire and lightning attacks. | Dahaka |
| Hellstorm Bolt | Deals lightning damage to all party members in range. | Garuda Interceptor, Kalavinka Striker |
| Levinbolt | Deals major lightning damage to all targets. | Bituitus, Mithridates |
| Orbital Battery | Deals lightning damage to the area around the Targeting Beacon. | Bulwarker |
| Pacifying Shock | Deals moderate lightning damage to a small area around the user. | Flanborg |
| Raging Tempest | Deals major lightning damage around the user. | Enlil |
| Shocking Breath | Deals three attacks that deal major lightning damage in a small radius. | Scalebeast, Gurangatch |
| Sparkstorm | Deals moderate lightning damage on target. | Orion |
| Storm Conduction | Deals lightning damage to characters in range. May heal user and remove status ailments. | Amam, Mánagarmr |
| Thunder | Same as a Ravager's Thunder. | Dahaka, Leyak, Right Ailette |
| Thundara | Same as a Ravager's Thundara. | Adroa, Behemoth King, Dahaka, Monstrous Flan, Odin, Right Ailette, Zwerg Metrodroid |
| Thundaga | Same as a Ravager's Thundaga. | Behemoth King, Dahaka, Right Ailette, Verdelet |
| Thunderburst | Deals lightning damage to target and inflicts Deprotect. | Enlil |
Protection[]
The player's most readily available way to mitigate lightning damage is with the Barthunder status, which halves lightning damage received until the effect expires, bestowed by the Synergist spell of the same name and the accessories Sparkbane Brooch (Barthunder bestowed when falling to critical health) and Sparkshield Earring (start battle with Barthunder). Barthunder stacks with other protections such as percentage lightning-mitigation from accessories and Shell or Protect depending if the ability is magical or physical.
The Spark Ring mitigates lightning damage received by 20%, the Fulmen Ring by 25%, and the Raijin Ring by 30%, and the Lightning Charm randomly converts lightning damage to healing, but does not block every lightning attack. The Entite Ring resists all elements by 10–25%.
The damage-mitigation from accessories stacks with each other: the percentages are subtracted from 100% and multiplied together.
Enemies[]
Enemies' elemental vulnerabilities are recorded in their Enemy Intel, viewable during battle and in the Datalog. Various enemies can be weakened to elements with Imperil, which lowers the enemy's elemental resistance by one stage, e.g. from Halved to Normal, or from Normal to Weakness. Enemies have programmed elemental resistances/vulnerabilities even when it is not possible to use that element against them in a normal playthrough.
Eidolons under the player's command ignore enemies' elemental resistance with their Penetration passive ability.